A unilateral ceasefire has been declared by the President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, against a coalition of armed groups in hopes of leading a peaceful dialogue, Reuters reports.
The CAR has been riddled with recurrent bouts of rebel violence since the ousting of former president Francois Bozize in 2013.
Armed groups control large swathes of the territory and about one-quarter of the nearly 5 million population was displaced.
A spokesman for the main rebel alliance the Coalition of Patriots for Change told Reuters that he welcomed the initiative and the CPC would respect the ceasefire if the government did.
Previous peace accords between government and rebels have quickly fallen apart.
President Touadera said on television that he believed the ceasefire would help protect civilians from violence and allow them to access humanitarian aid and basic services.
On Friday, hundreds of people marched in the Capital of the Central African Republic demanding peace, three days before presidential elections are set to take place.
Rich in diamonds, timber and gold, the Central African Republic has been through five coups since its independence from France in the 1960s.
However, the past seven years were marked by the death of nearly a quarter of the population due to the ongoing quarrels between the government and armed groups.
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